


steady on your feet

by towine (snippetcee)



Series: onwards and upwards [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5812213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snippetcee/pseuds/towine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn supposes this is inevitable, that he’ll always be pulled back into Poe’s gravity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	steady on your feet

**Author's Note:**

> for a prompt on tumblr, which asked for finn constantly bumping into things/bb-8 because he's always looking at poe. oh finn
> 
> thanks for reading!

The first time was BB-8’s fault, really.  
  
Finn could understand why—finding out Poe Dameron was still alive and breathing would make anyone come running as fast as they could into his arms. Finn barely remembers BB-8 bumping into his leg as it propelled itself forward to Poe’s black-marked X-Wing. He remembers very little besides the moment their eyes met across the distance, the surprise that lit up Poe’s face and the smile that followed, as bright and blinding as the first time Finn saw it, so long ago back on the Finalizer. Finn remembers the relief that washed over him, the giddy lightness of it, how it spread all the way to his fingertips before it was quickly enveloped by the warmth of Poe’s embrace.  
  
“You’re alive,” Finn had breathed. _Poe is alive alive alive_ —  
  
(Finn hadn’t noticed it then, but as the two of them spoke, BB-8 looked continually back and forth between them, like it was noticing something; like it _knew_.)  
  
-  
  
Finn’s never considered himself a clumsy person. Scoring at the top of every simulation and exercise during his training in the Order must mean something, if at least that Finn knows how to handle himself. But it’s different outside of controlled situations; outside the Order. Finn can take care of himself in a fight when he needs to, but it’s the _other_ stuff that he finds himself unprepared for. The things that never came up in Stormtrooper training.  
  
Like handsome Resistance pilots. And their disarming smiles. That takes a lot of getting used to, and Finn doesn’t quite think he’s got it yet.  
  
“Morning, buddy,” Poe greets, passing by Finn on his way to the mess hall for breakfast. Finn’s awake absurdly early, a habit he hasn’t broken from his time with the Order, despite the instructions from his medic to get extra rest until his back has completely healed.  
  
Finn decides the early hour might be worth it if he gets to see Poe like this: fresh from his morning run, dark hair plastered in damp curls to his forehead, sweat-soaked shirt clinging to his frame.  
  
“Morning,” Finn says back, faintly, before Poe gives him a pat on the shoulder as he walks past Finn to his quarters.  
  
Finn watches him go, and doesn’t notice BB-8 rolling by as he turns around and immediately bangs his leg into the droid.  
  
“Ouch, _damn_ —“  
  
BB-8 beeps loudly in surprise.  
  
“Sorry, BB-8,” Finn says, glancing down at it, then back the way Poe went. “I didn’t see you there.”  
  
BB-8 looks at Finn, then down the hall, then back at Finn. It makes a prolonged noise, almost like _Oooh._  
  
Finn furrows his brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he says, droid-talk still largely lost on him.  
  
BB-8 just emits more chirps before rolling away.  
  
-  
  
There’s starting to be a pattern. An embarrassing one.  
  
It’s Poe’s fault, obviously. He doesn’t know it’s his fault and he’s not doing it on-purpose, but still. It _is_.  
  
It’s a number of things—his smile, his laugh, the way he watches Finn when he talks like every word is the most interesting thing he’s ever heard—it all does something to Finn’s head. Something that leaves him literally stumbling and bumping into things: repair carts, trash bins, his own feet, once or twice.  
  
And more often than not, it’s BB-8, who always manages to be in Finn’s path despite the fact it probably should have realized the pattern by now.  
  
“Whoa, there,” Poe says, quickly grabbing Finn by the arm after he stumbles over BB-8. Again.  
  
Finn straightens up, fighting down the blush that blooms on his face. He stammers, “Er, thanks.”  
  
“You alright? You seem a little distracted, lately.” Poe’s concern is genuine. It makes Finn feel light and fluttery inside, aside from the burning embarrassment.  
  
“I’m fine, really,” Finn says. He looks down at BB-8, who swivels its head away like it’s avoiding him. Huh.  
  
“You sure?” Poe asks. His hand hovers over the small of Finn’s back, nearly touching, but not quite. Finn thinks he can feel the warmth radiating from his open palm. He does his best not to lean into it.  
  
“Yeah,” he says. “Just—got a lot on my mind, I guess.”  
  
Poe does touch him this time, patting his shoulder good-naturedly. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”  
  
“Of course,” Finn says, smiling. _Except for this one thing I absolutely cannot talk to you about, ever._  
  
-  
  
Finn corners BB-8 later, while Poe is busy with maintenance on his X-Wing at the other side of the hangar. He asks it, “What are you doing?”  
  
BB-8 voices a long string of beeps and high-pitched tones that make Finn remember, of course. He doesn’t understand a word, why did he even bother asking?  
  
“To be fair,” Finn admits, “I should be watching where I’m going. Sorry.”  
  
BB-8 rocks its head forward and back, as if nodding.  
  
“But you can’t blame me for thinking you’re up to something.”  
  
BB-8 backs up a little, offended.  
  
“Oh, don’t give me that,” Finn says, unimpressed. He squints. BB-8 meets his gaze unwaveringly. Well. It’s a droid. Finn’s not going to win a staring contest against it.  
  
He exhales heavily, moves to sit down on the floor next to BB-8. The two of them look towards Poe a distance away, working on his X-Wing, and they can hear him laugh at something Snap says to him. They’re quiet for a moment.  
  
“’M pretty hopeless, huh,” Finn says softly.  
  
BB-8 gently knocks itself against his arm, offering a low chirp. Even though Finn doesn’t understand, it’s a comforting sound, all the same.  
  
-  
  
The next day, Finn’s determined not to trip on a damn thing. He can’t let Poe distract him so much to the point where he can’t even walk across the room anymore. It’s a difficult endeavor, but one that Finn intends to see through.  
  
Finn manages to get through half the day without incident. His goal starts to seem possible. Granted, he hasn’t seen Poe yet but he can do this, he thinks, he can do this.  
  
Besides. A very small voice inside Finn says it’s probably a waste of time to linger on it anyway—whatever this is that Finn feels whenever he’s around Poe. A sort of exhilarated breathlessness not unlike what he felt during their escape from the Finalizer, the stars streaking by in blurs of light as they sped towards freedom. Poe, a man he only just met but trusted so completely to watch his back. Who makes the planet beneath Finn’s feet spin a little on its axis, every time he smiles.  
  
Surely Poe had bigger things on his mind. First Orders to destroy, lost Jedi to find.  
  
“Finn!”  
  
In the middle of these thoughts, of course, is when Poe finds Finn walking by the grass-covered X-Wing hangars, near the spot where they first reunited after Takodana. He smiles when Finn looks his way.  
  
“Poe,” Finn says, and the smile that comes to his face is natural and instinctive.  
  
Just like that, Finn forgets any notion of trying to stay steady on his feet. He supposes this is inevitable, that he’ll always be pulled back into Poe’s gravity.  
  
“Hey,” Poe greets when he approaches. It’s a breezy day, the wind blowing Poe’s curls into his eyes a bit. Finn thinks about brushing them aside with his fingers.  
  
“So, listen.” Poe sticks his hands into his pockets, leaning in a little as he speaks. “We’ve got leave in a couple days and I was just wondering—if you were feeling up to it—if you’d like to… y’know. Go somewhere. With me.”  
  
Finn stares. “Oh,” he says.  
  
He thinks the world’s swaying, again. There’s nothing for Finn to trip on, they’re not even _walking_ , but Finn doubts that’ll stop him.  
  
It could just be a friendly gesture, a chance for Poe to take Finn to see places outside the Resistance base. Maybe—maybe it’s nothing more than that.  
  
Poe is still looking at him, earnestly, with what Finn thinks might be the same kind of hope fluttering in his chest right now.  
  
“You mean like a,” Finn says, “like—as in, not just an outing but maybe a, um. Like a—”  
  
“A date,” Poe finishes for him. He grins and, unbelievably, Finn thinks he sees something like a blush starting to grow on Poe’s cheeks. “Yes, Finn, I’m asking you out on a date.”  
  
“Oh,” Finn says again. The budding warmth that began in his chest spreads very suddenly to his face. He’s definitely blushing, too. “That would—okay. I mean, yes. Yeah.”  
  
“Yeah?” Poe asks, stepping closer.  
  
Before Finn can say anything, he suddenly stumbles forward, something bumping into the back of his legs.  
  
“Whoa, hey!” Finn says, instinctively reaching out to catch himself—  
  
Poe catches him in his arms, immediately, securely. Finn’s practically pressed up against his chest now, and any coherent thoughts in Finn’s head go straight to hyperspace. He vaguely registers hearing a familiar string of beeps and whistles behind him.  
  
“Well, I think I realize what BB-8’s been up to,” Poe says, amused.  
  
“You noticed, too?” Finn asks. His voice comes out a little more breathless than intended. The whole situation’s a lot to take in right now.  
  
“I’ve noticed a few things the past week,” Poe tells him. “Made me realize maybe I should stop dragging my feet and just ask already.”  
  
Instead of the wave of embarrassment he expects, Finn suddenly feels very light. Like everything’s slotting into place, every heavy insecurity dropping away, the planet spinning in perfect harmony. That sort of thing. It’s a good feeling.  
  
Poe hasn’t stopped smiling since Finn said yes. He doesn’t say anything; neither of them do when Poe brings his hands up to cup Finn’s face and kiss him very softly on the mouth.  
  
BB-8 makes a proud beeping noise, and though Finn’s droid-speak is still practically non-existent, he can imagine it said something like, _Finally_.  
  
-  
  
-  
  
(Rey nearly dies laughing when Finn tells her everything that happened, falling out of frame of the transmission screen for a moment as she laughs and laughs.  
  
“I just wish I could have seen you stumbling around like a fool for a week,” she says as she reappears, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “BB-8 literally had to push you two together.” She laughs again.  
  
“Are you finished?” Finn says, when she finally starts to quiet down.  
  
“Yes, yes. For now, anyway.” She smiles at him, and Finn can’t help but smile, too. He misses her every day.  
  
“So.” Rey’s smile turns cheeky. “It’s official, then. You’ve got a boyfriend now, a cute boyfriend?”  
  
Finn cuts the transmission.)


End file.
